Brisbane City Council Library Services: Overview
Sharan HarveyManager, Library Services
MetLib09: 12/5/09
About BrisbanePopulation 1,008,00024% born overseas 14% NESBArea 1220km2 –826 people/km2City 150 years young
About Council
Library Statistics for 2007/8Budget AUD $41MLoans 10M Visits 6.1M Membership 457,126 (45% of Pop.)Community Use 75% of PopulationEvents attendance 151,224 at 6,537events
No. of items 1.37M (1.36 items/capita)
No. of Locations: 32+1 Mobile+ArchivesStaff 284.1 FTE (400 people)Customer Satisfaction 93%
Library Strategies
Vibrant hubs of the community which are welcoming & convenient to allEngaging the community through physical and digital spacesGrowing a love of reading, writing, culture, local history and ideasDeveloping a Learning & Informed CommunityOne Council, One Library Service
Council strategies informing customer service decisions
Customer Focus Strategy- simplicity- integrity- engagement
Channel Management Strategy- preferred channels & choice- excellence in self service- consistency of information
Maximise customer satisfaction
Address customer dissatisfaction
Maintain customer satisfaction
Minimise cost
Locations & Co-locations
Locations & Co-locations: 32 libraries –6 co-located with Customer Service Centres, 7 co-located with Councillor Offices, 8 located in shopping centres; 13 located in parks.Transit oriented developments are the new opportunity.
Programs
One Book Many
Brisbanes•Develops literary talent in the city•Winning Brisbane stories are published in an anthology•Over 600 entries in 2007/8
Cultural Connections in Libraries
Sustainability
Seminars & workshops – 700 people, partner with ‘City Smart’ –programs, collections, lend energy meters, showcase sites.
Eco-fashionEngaging young people in
sustainability issues:reduce, reuse, recycle
Performance Poet – ghost boy
Breakdancing & Krumping Workshops
iSkills – 9,700 people per year
Of interest…?Collections: small, high turnover, floating collection, all material arrives ‘shelf-ready’ and the selection is outsourced to suppliersStaff development: Events Management, Emerging Leaders, Band 2-3 progression, 23 Things, Future Librarians Competitive Development Program, qualifications not essential.Operations: simultaneous recruitment, city-wide teams, city-wide rosters, staff forums, staff rotations, YourVoice Survey, Relief Pool.
Brisbane Square Library& Customer Centre
Photo: John Gollings
Aims of the Library & Customer Centre
Convenient single destination for Council’s face-to-face services for residents, visitors and business.
Seamless experience across the different lines of business in the centre.
Four specialist knowledge teams with a ‘One Team’ culture.
Responsive to channel migration trends - enhanced customer self service and online transactions end to end.
Staff focussed on high value activities.
Smart use of technology.
Model Zero Harm Library.
A vibrant & friendly library in the CBD.
In addition to a wide range of modern library and community services you can…
Pay your property rates, dog registration, parking fines, lodge a tender, buy a bus ticket.Get Council information, voucher for free trees, request local government services, permits to film for TV/Movies, close a road, open food premises etc. Create customised maps with a level of detail covering specific property to city-wide views.Lodge a development or building application, meet a town planner, get free planning advice.View building applications in detail online for all addresses across the city.
Library Services delivered through self-service & roving service
• Delivering service beyond the counter at the customer’s point of need.
• Library staff are supported by open stations & wireless iPAQ’s incl phone
• Staff are rostered to a floor area – not a desk
Ground• Maintain Library customer
relationship• Readers advisory• Queue management• General customer assistance• News Lounge• Displays & Merchandising• Support:
• Self checkouts/Kiosks• Self checkin -
booksorter• Library transaction
problem solving• Holds self pickup• Community Meeting
Room & Theatrette
Level One• User education / Information
literacy / Readers advisory / New members
• Support• Learning Lounge• Internet• Children's Lounge• City Zoo –- X-box Wall- AV Pods- Sports & Lifestyle screens• LOTE-Literacy• Magazines• Community Meeting &
Study Rooms• OPACS• Sound & Vision Lounge• Council information
Level Two• Information & Reference
services• Literature Lounge –
reading, programs & performances
• Brisbane History Lounge• User Education /
Information Literacy• Council information• New Members
Zero Harm Library
Shelving heights: minimum 400mm, maximum 1530mm. Bottom shelf up-tilt.Ergonomic trolleys, scissor lifts, smart bins, desksRostering: maximum 1 hour per taskStretching program – Wellness CentreExtensive WH&S trainingTechlogic automated booksorterSelf service loansFlexible Work Arrangements
Brisbane Square Library Statistics & User Profile
• Visits: 87% to 1.1M per year• Loans: 52% to 850,000 per year• Open 7 days / 56 hours per week• Space: 4,500 m2 with 855m2 reserved
for expansion• Staff: 30 FTEs (incl. Ask a Librarian)
Usage of non-library services is consistent with pre-relocation levels.
Age and Gender
21%
24%
19%
15%
11%
2%
0.2%
7%
14%
12%
16%
17%
15%
12%
7%
3%
5%
Under18
years18-24years
25-34years
35-44years
45-54years
55-64years
65 -74years
75yearsand
Refused
BSQ Citywide
Male, 48% 43%Female,
52%57%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Male Female
BSQ Citywide
Employment Type
15%
3%
19%
12%
9%
0.2%
42%
0.4%
Full time
Part time
Home duties
Student
Retired
Not currentlyemployed
Refused
Notanswered
Frequency of Visit
5%
6%
20%
15%
10%
10%
6%
27%
0.4%
2%
4%
9%
13%
22%
48%
2%
Daily
More thanthree times a
week2- 3 times a
week
Once a week
Once afortnight
Once amonth
Less thanonce a month(infrequently)
This is myfirst visit
Don't Know
BSQCitywide